Nasa has been funding four research projects that investigate COVID-19 impacts. The first project from George Washington University will shed light on why there are inconsistent effects of COVID-19 lockdowns on air quality in different cities by analysing weather, traffic counts and other data. The second research from the University at Buffalo will quantify the reduction in emissions and its impact on air quality chemistry. The third project from the City University of New York will determine what impact the COVID-19-related declines in air pollution may have on coastal water quality in Long Island Sound, near New York City. The last project conducted by researchers from the Universities Space Research Association and the NASA’s Black Marble science team will investigate satellite night-time light data to assess the social and economic impacts of this crisis locally to globally, and the effectiveness of containment actions, such as stay-at-home orders, taken to control the spread of the virus.
